Spell Resistance
Spell Resistance is a hidden statistic that is used to determine whether hostile effects are resisted partially or fully in combat. Both characters and monsters have Spell Resistance: for characters, it is a fixed number derived from various factors, including a character's Class, Level, Luck Attribute, and one very interesting piece of equipment: the Luckshield. For monsters, it is determined by their monster index number (higher monster index = higher level dungeons) plus a random number. How it Works To determine whether a spell is resisted by a target character or monster, first compare their Spell Resistance values. Remember: for the purposes of a given spell, a character's resistance value is fixed, whereas a monster's value is a fixed number plus a random variable of 0-7. If the target's score exceeds the attacker's score by five or more, the target resists the spell entirely. If the target's score matches or exceeds the attacker's score by four or less, the target takes only half damage, or is affected in the case of a spells which cause Status Effects rather than damage, such as Wither Strike, Stone Touch, or Death Strike. If the target's score is less than the attacker's score, the target takes full damage from the spell (and is of course affected if it's a Status Effect spell). Examples For these early examples, we will assume the party is not equipped with Luckshields. Party Defending: '''a 14th-level Paladin with an 18 luck Attribute has a value of 15, with a 10 to resist spell-based damage entirely. If a Blue Dragon (monster index 47, base 5, variable +0-7) breathes fire at him, he has a 6-in-8 (score 5-10) chance of resisting entirely, and a 2-in-8 chance of taking half damage. His 13th-level Monk companion with a 15 luck, however, only has a value of 9, with a 4 to resist spell-based damage entirely - lower than the Dragon's base! If the Blue Dragon breathes fire at him, he has no chance to avoid the damage entirely, a 5-in-8 (score 5-9) chance to take half damage, and a 3-in-8 chance of taking it head on! '''Party Attacking: a 13th level Magician with a 15 Luck (value 10) wants to cast Stone Touch on one of the Blue Dragons (base 5 + 0-7) above. Since the maximum the Blue Dragon could possibly muster vs. the Magician's score of 10 is 12, and the spell is a status effect, the spell should succeed. However, were he casting Dragon Breath, the dragons would have a 5-in-8 (5-9) chance of taking full damage, and a 3-in-8 (10-12) chance of taking half damage. His Level 1 Sorcerer (formerly Conjurer) friend with a 16 Luck (value 5) attempting a Shock Sphere is in a much tougher situation! With a value matching their base resistance, the Blue Dragons (base 5 + 0-7) will never take full damage, have a 5-in-8 (5-9) chance of taking half damage, and a 3-in-8 (10-12) chance to resist the spell entirely! At level six or higher, however, even with no additional points in Luck (resistance value = 8), the dragons would never be able to fully resist his spells, and a 3-in-8 (5-7) chance of taking full damage! As you can see, to ensure your spells work, avoid nasty Status Effects such as Withering or Petrification, and to take less damage from spells cast by monsters, it's really important to make sure you're not outclassed by the monsters in the dungeon you're attempting! Likewise, when first changing a caster's class to a new school, it's probably a good idea to grind in safer dungeons until they've gotten a few levels under them before heading to more dangerous dungeons... To always be able to resist spells from even the toughest monsters at all times, you'll need a resistance value of at least 27. This amount can be achieved by any character at Level 36, (+18 level, +1 class, +2 default) assuming they have at least 19 luck (+4) and a Luckshield equipped (+2). If you find monster spells devastating, and your own spells not hitting, try leveling up your characters. Also, while in terms of Armor Class, they're only as good as Tower Shields, Luckshields are worth 4 level ups in terms of resistance! Interestingly, Spell Resistance also is used for determining whether the Party can Run Away from Combat. The values compared are those of the lead character in the party and the lead monster group (the one whose portrait is displayed). There is only one check: if the party's value is better than that of the lead monster's base value +0-7, the party runs. Thus, having a high-resistance character such as a Paladin taking point can help the party get out of dodge if the going gets too rough! Calculating Character Spell Resistance A given character's Spell Resistance value is calculated thusly (starting from a baseline of "zero": # Add the character's Level divided by 2, up to a maximum of 18 # Add a Class bonus of 1-3 for non-Paladins, and 1-6 for Paladins ## Non-Paladins: Wizard = 3, Sorcerer, Conjurer, Magician = 2, all other classes = 1 ## Paladins: Level 1-3 = 1, Level 4-9 = +2, Level 10-17 = +3, Level 18-25 = +4, Level 26-29 = +5, Level 30+ = +6 #Add a Luck bonus for each point of Luck above 15 (16 = +1, 17 = +2, 18 = +3) #Add 2 if a Luckshield is equipped. #Add 2 (basic bonus for player characters) to reach the final Spell Resistance value. Monstrous Spell Resistance Monsters, on the other hand, follow a simpler formula, which also includes an element of randomness. To determine a given monster's spell resistance, # Take the monster's index number (Kobold is 1, Hobbit is 2, etc) and divide by 8. # Add a random number between 0 and 7. The highest spell resistance value a monster can obtain is 22 (#120 or higher/8 +7, i.e. in Tales of the Unknown, from the Soul Sucker onward). 'Examples:' 'Maximum Possible Spell Resistance:' * 36th level Paladin (4,800,000 Exp) w/20 Luck, equipped w/Luckshield ** +18/level, +6/Paladin class bonus, +3/Luck attribute, +2/Luckshield, +2/default bonus = 31 Spell Resistance. 'Minimum Guaranteed Spell Resistance vs All Monsters' 27 Spell Resistance = 100% chance for full spell damage, 100% chance to resist effects/spells: * 32nd Level Paladin (4,000,000 Exp) w/18 Luck, no Luckshield: ** +16/level, +6/Paladin class bonus, +3/Luck attribute, +2/default bonus = 27 Spell Resistance * 36th Level Archmage (Conjurer or Magician 7,450,000 Exp) w/18 Luck, equipped w/Luckshield: ** +18/level, +2/Class bonus, +3/Luck attribute, +2 Luckshield, +2/default bonus = 27 Spell Resistance * 34th Level Archmage (Wizard 29,460,000 Exp) w/18 Luck & equipped w/Luckshield: ** +17/level, +3/Wizard class bonus, +3/Luck attribute, +2/Luckshield, +2/default bonus = 27 Spell Resistance. * 36th Level Hunter/Bard/Monk/Rogue (4,800,000 Exp) w/18 Luck, equipped w/Luckshield: ** +18/level, +1/Class bonus, +3/Luck attribute, +2 Luckshield, +2/default bonus = 26 Spell Resistance (just shy of full resistance!) 'Minimum Guaranteed Full Damage Spell Hit' 23 Spell Resistance = 100% chance to hit w/full damage, 50% chance to resist hostile effects/spells: *28th Level Archmage (Conjurer or Magician 5,610,000 Exp) w/18 Luck, equipped w/Luckshield: **+14/level, +2/Class bonus, +3/Luck attribute, +2 Luckshield, +2/default bonus = 23 Spell Resistance *26th Level Archmage (Wizard 19,060,000 Exp) w/18 Luck & equipped w/Luckshield: ** +13/level, +3/Wizard class bonus, +3/Luck attribute, +2/Luckshield, +2/default bonus = 23 Spell Resistance. Category:Game Mechanics Category:Gameplay